2.  The upper class Romans (patricians) lived very
differently. Their homes were single family homes, which in
ancient Rome meant the great
grandparents, grandparents, parents, and kids of one
family lived in a home together.
 Homes were made, quite often, of brick with red tile
roofs, with rooms arranged around a central courtyard. The
windows and balconies faced the courtyard, not the street, to
keep homes safe from burglars. There were painting on the
walls and beautiful mosaics on the floor. There was very little
furniture, and no carpeting.
 Wealthy Romans might have a house with a front
door, bedrooms, an office, a kitchen, a dining room, a
garden, a temple, an atrium, a toilet, and a private bath.

3.  Rome as a Kingdom: In early Roman days, kids did
not go to school.
 A Roman boy's education took place at home. If his
father could read and write, he taught his son to do the
same. The father instructed his sons in Roman
law, history, customs, and physical training, to prepare
for war. Reverence for the gods, respect for
law, obedience to authority, and truthfulness were the
most important lessons to be taught.
 Girls were taught by their mother. Girls learned to
spin, weave, and sew. The rich had tutors for the
children, but mostly, the kids were taught at home.

4.  All of the planets, except for Earth, were named after
Roman gods and goddesses.
 Jupiter, Saturn, Mars, Venus and Mercury were given their
names thousands of years ago. Those were the planets that
the ancient Romans could see in the sky without a telescope.
 The other planets in our solar system were not discovered
until much later, when telescopes were invented. Even
then, the tradition of naming the planets after Roman gods
and goddesses continued.
 Most of the moons and some asteroids are also named after
the critters and creatures and gods and goddesses found in
Roman mythology. Some of the constellations in our solar
system are named after Roman gods as well.

5.  OUR PLANETS:
 MERCURY Roman Winged Messenger, winged god of travel because
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he moves so fast
VENUS Roman Goddess of Love, beautiful
EARTH
MARS Roman God of War
JUPITER Chief Roman God (Jupiter is King of the Gods, an elected
position)
SATURN Former Roman God of Agriculture, retired. Replaced by his
daughter, Ceres
URANUS Former Roman God of the Sky, retired. Replaced by his
grandson, Jupiter.
NEPTUNE Roman Lord of the Sea
PLUTO Roman Lord of the Underworld (Pluto is no longer considered
a planet.)

6.  Rome as a Republic: About 200 BCE, the Romans
borrowed some of the ancient Greek system of
education. Although they did not add many
subjects, they did begin sending their boys, and some
of their girls, with their father's permission, to
school, outside their home, at age 6 or 7.

7.  The goal of education in under the Republic was
to be an effective speaker. The school day began
before sunrise, as did all work in Rome. Kids brought
candles to use until daybreak. There was a rest for
lunch and the afternoon siesta, and then back to
school until late afternoon. No one knows how long
the school year actually was; it probably varied from
school to school. However, one thing was fixed. School
began each year on the 24th of March!

8.  Under the Republic, the children studied
reading, writing, and counting. They read scrolls
and books. They wrote on boards covered with
wax, and used pebbles to do math problems. They
were taught Roman numerals, and recited lessons they
had memorized. At age 12 or 13, the boys of the upper
classes attended "grammar" school, where they
studied Latin, Greek, grammar, and literature. At age
16, some boys went on to study public speaking at the
rhetoric school, to prepare for a life as an orator.

9.  At the poorer levels, no. School was not free. Nor should
anyone imagine large classes in special buildings.
Children, educated outside of the home, were sent to
the house of a tutor, who would group-tutor.
Children, educated in the home, were taught by
intelligent and gifted slaves. Children, in poorer
homes, did not have slaves to teach them; they were
taught by their parents, as they were in early Roman
days.

10.  Rome as an Empire: During the empire, the Senate
lost most of its power. The emperor was all-powerful.
Still, education continued as it did during the
Republic. Kids studied
reading, writing, counting, literature, and how to be an
effective speaker.